What is hard seltzer?
Originating from the US and Canada, the term hard seltzer could quite easily be confused with the painkiller, Alka Seltzer, by us Brits. If you’ve never heard of it, then we’re here to debunk any myths about seltzer water as they call it across the pond, or as we call it, sparkling water, here in the UK.
What is in a hard seltzer?
The hard aspect refers to the alcohol, which is generally derived from fermented fruits or cane sugar. At Berczy, we use a clear distilled alcohol that comes from sugar beet, which comes from the beetroot family and is similar to sugar cane alcohol. In 2020, we’ve seen a number of variations on hard seltzers including Smirnoff’s take on vodka seltzer and Chase dubbing their gin seltzer a hard seltzer too, so it can be hard to keep up.
Typically a hard seltzer, or what we would call here in the UK, an alcoholic sparkling water, is low in alcohol (generally around 4% ABV) and therefore lower in calories than a beer, glass of wine or a cocktail.
Berczy’s hard seltzer is light and flavourful without being packed with sugar. Our three simple ingredients are; our four times distilled alcohol, British sparkling spring water and real fruit flavours, all of which are 100% natural. We promise to never add anything artificial to our delicious drinks, keeping them real to the very last drop.
Where did hard seltzer come from?
Did you know that hard seltzer was actually invented back in 1993?
In the ‘90s, Coors launched Zima – the first hard seltzer – but didn't have the success they were hoping. It wasn't until 2013, when two friends in Boston decided to home-brew their own version, that it caught on. Inspired by their wives who loved sparkling water, Bon & Viv’s spiked seltzer was created.
Following this boom in popularity, US beer companies began to create their own range of hard seltzers. As beer began to lose its mojo, the less alcoholic and less calorific options shot out of the ground.
The hard seltzer market is now projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2021. If this is the first you’ve heard of it, it definitely won’t be the last.
Why choose a hard seltzer?
Hard seltzers are a light and refreshing sparkling drink that are low in calories, alcohol and sugar. And, there are articles that suggest that when you drink bubbles, it releases endorphins. Win, win!
Low-and-no alcohol is becoming even more popular as we become more conscious of what we consume. At Berczy, a team of twenty-somethings, we know how important balance is. A can of Berczy hard seltzer has 4% alcohol, by reducing our alcohol intake we can maintain our work/life balance.
While you may inherently reach for a gin and tonic, when you discover the sugar content in a 250ml can is more than 6x the amount of a same-sized can of Berczy, you might change your mind.
Our ingredients are so important to us, so we’ll never add any artificial flavours, or extra sugar; making our drink a great post-work refreshment. Pop a Berczy in your bag and take us on any meet-up or adventure as we’re easily transportable.
Shop our full range of Berczy hard seltzers here.